rain maker

A big plait down her back, fair hair, plaits over her forehead too. Eyelashes dark with mascara and a white mask over mouth and nose. That is the new look. The young woman in the bakers shop looks up from behind the plexiglass shield on the counter, inquires as to what is required. The son stammers and asks for a cup of coffee and a cake. Order a buttered pretzel and a cup of coffee to complete the order. All told that is seven Euros, actually a noticeable amount of money for two cups of coffee and bits. 

The coffee is served in paper mugs, because there can be no café service today or any other day during the pandemic. The plan is to take the coffee to go out and enjoy it on one of the park benches in the main street pedestrian zone outside.

Pay, and leave the café.

Once outside, it starts to rain. The park benches are all free and are all sodden. The paper cups are hot, they almost burn the fingers. Walk down the arcades with the son, trying to find a place to sit. He suggests the steps leading up to the entrance to the bank, but these are already occupied. There are some steps down to the street, and the top steps are sheltered. So sit down there , on the ground, the feet in the rain, drinking hot coffee and eating cake and pretzel. It is pleasant to behave as if in a café again, even if the usual comfort is not there. The stone step is cold on the seat of the trousers. But it is satisfying enough to make the best out of a difficult situation.

As soon as the cake is eaten and the coffee drunk, the rain stops. This causes laughter, and the idea is to do it all again, to see if this causes it to rain.